Christmas lights in July. Santa in the front yard. Fireworks going off in the distance. Kids playing with sparklers in the street. Dogs barking and running for cover. Another case of beer finished off.

They sat on the back porch. The charcoal grill was still smoking from earlier. Dad lit a cigarette and handed the pack back to mom; Virginia Slims. He smoked his last Marlboro that afternoon.

Red, white, and blue fireworks lit the sky. A haze settled in over the city. Mom and dad slurred words. Talked about how nobody gave a damn anymore.

There’s jobs, he said. They just don’t want to work, he took a drag off the skinny cigarette. Nobody wants to do anything anymore, but play video games. They want jobs playing video games. I saw it on the news, he continued. Just shooting things. They all just want to shoot things. Imaginary things. With imaginary guns. Makes you wonder, he said. Makes you wonder.

The cigarettes were all gone. Mom and dad went inside. Dad called for the boy and girl to come in from the back window. The two kids complained. Asked for five more minutes. Yellow light from lamp posts shined down on the streets. Their request was granted.

Five years from now, they won’t want to go outside, he said. They’ll stay in all day and night. It ain’t right.

I was talking to Judy next door the other day, she said. And her boy had a girl over, the husband looked in the refrigerator, moving items around. And she said they didn’t kiss or hug or anything. They just played video games in the basement. Said she wasn’t worried about them in the least. They were yelling and screaming at the TV, she threw away paper plates and plastic forks.

I’ll tell you one thing, he said. I’m worried. Who is going to take care of us? she nodded her head. Who is going to make sure we’re safe? she put away potato salad.

Dad opened the window again and told them to come in. Again, they cried and moaned. Get in here, dad said. Before I tan your hides. March in this house now. Pronto.

Brother and sister walked into the kitchen and kissed their mom on the cheeks. The dogs stopped barking. Night got quiet. Dad stuffed a cold hot dog in his mouth. Summer had begun.